CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Infrastructure

OK but don't touch my car again

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  1. gembo
    Member

    Witnessed very stupid driving this morning.

    Large BMW 4x4 metallic blue X5 - if i have that right.

    At Slateford junction fully inside the Advance Stop Box in the left hand lane. ONly option there is a left turn.

    THe right hand lane has a simlar black 4X4 - only option there is straight ahead.

    There is a cyclist in the middle in front.

    I am behind all this.

    Just before the lights change the driver angles her car as if she is going left, sort of diagonal across the box. As the lights change she undertakes the cyclist going through the junction and then into the bus lane. I think he sensed she was going to do this. He was quite calm on surface. We stopped at WoL visitor centre lights so car was ahead. I asked if we should point out that the only option was a left turn. He said yes. So caught up and tapped her bonnet very lightly twice whilst looking at her and shaking my head.

    We then progressed through the asda junction and she stopped with her window rolled down, in the bus lane. I said you know you cannot go straight ahead from the left lane. She said Ok, but don't touch my car again. She then departed with me shouting You nearly killed him but I have not to touch your car pxxx off. I asked my fellow cyclist if i had been angry enough, he said yes and off we went into the Edinburgh traffic jungle that is out there.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  2. PS
    Member

    I almost touched a guy's car yesterday as he failed to observe the convention of stopping to let pedestrians cross the zebra crossing at the Frederick Street/George Street (north side) junction.

    I knew he wasn't going to stop but I stepped out in the hope of giving him a fright. He just glanced at me then stared straight ahead as he kept going. I raised my hand to knock on the rear near side of the car as it went by but instinct stopped my hand - not sure if that instinct was self-preservation or the time-honoured don't touch/rub another man's rhubarb...

    Posted 9 years ago #

  3. kaputnik
    Moderator

    I have absolutely no problem with slapping a car as a warning that passes so close that one little wobble on my part would take me into it. If a car is so close you can reach out and touch it, it's too close.

    It's in the driver's interest, a gouge from a bar end shifter would leave far more of a lasting mark on their precious vehicle than my gloved palm would.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  4. twq
    Member

    I gave a knock on the window a while back to a lady that missed the green light, due to staring at facebook on her phone. It was with a gloved hand, but I had recently acquired a wedding ring, so it made quite a loud, sharp bang. Made her jump (and me too!), but maybe these morons need a shock.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  5. paul.mag
    Member

    I've given a cars roof a dunt in the past as he slowly squeezed me into the gutter just so that he could stop in a queue 5 yards ahead - overtook and had a wee chat with him and to his credit he took his scolding well
    Also slapped a cars rear quarter window as the driver got out of the way of an ambulance overtaking stationary traffic on the wrong side of the road. Its fair enough to get out of the way of course but he had seen it approaching from about 1 mile away. Luckily I had as well and was on the brakes stopping rather than half way along his car. He didn't take his scolding very well.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  6. fimm
    Member

    I have had the car I was driving slapped by a roadie who didn't like my overtake. It is too long ago for me to remember the details but I do remember being cross with myself for being persuaded into an overtake by my boyfriend when I wasn't convinced about it.

    I think boyfriend told me I hadn't done anything wrong, but I must have done, people don't slap cars for no reason.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  7. kaputnik
    Moderator

    I think boyfriend told me I hadn't done anything wrong,

    I'd have to disagree with boyfriend of Fimm that close enough for a cyclist to reach out and touch is not too close.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  8. fimm
    Member

    I think it was more a case of overtaking then brakeing hard so that the cyclist came up behind me and also had to brake. I agree that if I was back there again I'd ignore Boyfriend of Fimm's comments!

    Posted 9 years ago #

  9. ianmb
    Member

    I've hit a car roof before as it tried to run me off the road on Chambers Street. If it gets close enough to hit, then it is close enough to kill me so serves as a good warning. The thought of getting off my bike and using my size 10s is appealing at times but that probably takes things a little too far so I keep that thought to myself!

    Posted 9 years ago #

  10. Tulyar
    Member

    On a couple of occasions I have made contact with cars that have been driven on a conflicting path to that I am legitimately taking. The flat slap on the roof is very effective as the roof is a fine form of drum skin.

    Gloves are a very handy detail for that and also that slight drift of the right hand off the end of the handlebar to clip the mirror that passes too close. Occasionally raising that hand above your head is required for HGV and bus drivers, who are then forced to stop and reset the mirrors, but for me at least I don't get a 'Cracknelled' head.

    But perhaps the most expensive recent event was the driver who pulled out at low speed against a red light to try in push in to the congested junction at Charing Cross as I and the drivers with the green light set off. he actually started off from being stopped, a quite unexpected move but one I just about telegraphed but was unable to totally avoid, so I rolled over the front of the car and front windscreen. leaving the bike behind - just over £600 worth of damage apparently, and new forks for the bike. Amazing what 120Kg of cyclist can do.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  11. acsimpson
    Member

    Ouch, I hope you're OK and didn't have any of the trouble that winpig had extracting restitution from his [epithet].

    Posted 9 years ago #

  12. condor2378
    Member

    I banged the left mirror, then to my shame, bonnet, of a new Mini which decided than rather than waiting in the queue of traffic going up Leith Street they would rather "nip up the bus lane" to get to the front. I was in said bus lane and didn't take too well to being unexpectedly sideswiped. Driver held hand up to admit mistake. It nearly made me feel bad about hitting his car but that passed rather quickly upon reflection.

    Posted 9 years ago #

  13. lorlane
    Member

    @tulyar, I similarly ended up on the bonnet of a car when travelling up Chesser avenue approaching the lights at the Corn Exchange.

    Car slows down (lights red, big queue) and moves into kerb, presumably to stop me from passing on left, however then trapped me and my pedal hit said kerb and I toppled over onto bonnet.

    She resolutely refused to see me and stared straight ahead!! Don't think there was any damage at all, but still not pleasant!

    Posted 9 years ago #

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